I really like going big. Especially off the double ups. Recently, I have been hitting my double ups huge. Everything is great, except for the landing. It hurts to land sometimes when I go really big. I aim for the back side of the wake, but when I take it super huge - I inevitably land in the flats.

I watch pro-riders do the same thing on videos, etc. The best pros are going huge and landing way out in the flats.

Question - Is this OK for the body in the long run? Or, are all good wakeboarders doomed to becoming crippled at the age of 35?

I'm 37 and my body is a lil beaten up. I've tried some diff. things to save my knees and back a little bit. I switched to the Parks board this year, hoping the abrupt 3-stage rocker would get me more pop UP rather than OUT. Idea being softer landing down the second wake. Great idea, only I can't dial the Parks board in worth crap and I think my progression really suffered this year. Another idea is to go with a longer rope. I've ridden most of this year at 85'. The farther from the boat, the wider the wake is, meaning if I normally land out in the flats at 75 or 80, I should be coming down the second wake at 85 (most of the time).

Just a few ideas on how to go a little bigger but still land a lil softer.

From my experience, it doesn't matter too much how big you go or where you land, if you bend your knees your taking the impact. It's when your knees dont' bend that you hurt yourself. Come down with knee locked/straight, your in for a blown knee. Blowing your knees isn't something that happens from long term abuse, it happens from one time impact. As far as your body holding up to going big/landing in the flats and the nature, that might be a different story. peace Derrick

derrick is right, I am 30 and i am a double up junkie. i switched to the 2003 byerly board at the beginning of this season. the extra hight i got off the double made me straight leg the landing that was the last time i rode it was june.now i am sitting here in front of the puter on a beautiful sat afternoon, with some dead dudes acl in my knee!

I believe there is a threshold for the amount of air that we as wakeboarders can get. You just have to know you're own limitations. Only once have I been high enough to think, "whoa, I better let go of I'm gonna break stuff when I land." I just tossed the handle and dove in. Every other landing I've had off the double-up didn't hurt, unless I crashed or hit my arm on my knee. Sometimes when I come down I knee myself right on the inside of my bicep. The result is usually a little bruise.

Dave - what bindings do you ride and what board? That could be part of the problem.

I've got a great solution. If your doing a heelside jump and get too high and it looks like your going to land in the flats, just pull really hard on the rope and land on your toeside edge and your legs won't have to take the beatn.

go as big as you want, just don't fall. when i go big and fall, i hit horrible combos. the other day on a tantrum, i might have managed to kick myself in the head, elbow myself in the ribs, bite my butt, peel my lids, and give myself a self-inflicted enema (that was nice)... so when i go big, shock on my knees is my last concern. i'm just trying not to knock off my junk. ps-and my ankle still hurts.